


Sixty Years Later

by Thelittlhobbit



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Perc'ahlia;
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 07:49:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12428211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thelittlhobbit/pseuds/Thelittlhobbit
Summary: Vex goes out into the woods to speak to her brother, when she desperately needs his comfort.





	Sixty Years Later

The wind picked up as the thick snow fell, blanketing the city of Whitestone. The air was painfully cold, as it often was on long winter nights. Vex wrapped her coat around her as she stood on their stairs of the castle, looking out over the city. In the moonlight the snow-covered city shone brightly, a sight she never got tired of seeing. 

With a deep breath she turned down the path she had walked hundreds of thousands of times before. Following it around the edge of town and into the woods. As she made her way through the trees, her boots feeling heavy under the thick snow, she focused on the treetops. Although the leaves had all fallen by this time the branches still bunched together, casting darkness over her path.

Finally she stopped and smiled as the trees parted, letting the light shine down on to the simple bench that sat in the middle of the small open field. She walked up to it, stopping only to rest her hands on the head of the small bear statue that stood beside the bench.

Shortly after Trinket has passed away Scanlan came to town for a visit. The statue showed up without a word after he left. 

She dropped to her knees in front of the small, wooden bear. "Hello Darling, I miss you." She kissed his forehead before pushing back to her feet. Looking up towards the trees that lined the small clearing she searched for a raven. Every time she visited the bench she always went through the same painful process, and always her attempts to connect with her brother were meant with silence. Despite the raven population in Whitestone had risen dramatically over the last 60 years, none of them were Vax.

The cold air nipped at her face as she squinted up towards the trees, looking for any hint of black feathers. She rolled her eyes, pulling her hood up over her face as she gave up her fruitless venture. With a huff she dropped down to the bench, pulling her legs up to get them out of the snow.

"I'm sure you were the first to know, but Percy passed away in his sleep tonight. It was peaceful and he didn't have to suffer much. I hope you were there with him...when he crossed over."

She paused for only a brief second.

"And I hope that as soon as he saw you he punched you square in the jaw! I've spent 60 years desperately trying to connect with you. I come out here and talk to the birds, I went into that fucking woman's temple and I've bathed myself in blood for you and it's all been a waste of my time. I needed you and you left me to sit here and talk to myself."

"Keyleth told me today that she thinks you visit her. I wouldn't be shocked if that were true."

She looked up towards the sky, snow and tears clouding her vision. "I need you tonight. Please don't let me go through this alone." She whispered.

Suddenly around her, pushing up through the thick layer of snow were hundreds of snowdrops. Covering the small field with green and white. 

"Mom?" A voice broke through the wind. 

Vex wiped her eyes as she stared out into the darkness. There she saw the thin frame of her son, stepping into the clearing. At 35 he was nearly a spitting image of Percy, but with jet black hair and pointed ears. He was barely dressed for the cold, and as soon as he stopped moving he quickly shivered. Vex quickly jumped to her feet.

"What are you doing out here dressed like that?"

Without another word he opened his palms, producing a bright red blaze of fire from his hands. Vex instinctively blinked, allowing her eyes to adjust to the brightness. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek.

"Did you do this?" She motioned to the field.

He gave a slight nod. "It felt fitting."

She smiled. "It's beautiful."

"Come back inside, it's freezing out here."

"You didn't need to worry about me. I just needed a minute to myself."

"Ready to head back then?" With only the slightest nod from Vex they headed back towards the castle.

As they climbed the steps to the castle Vex could hear the ruckus laughter of a house full of family and friends. All of them celebrating the life of their beloved father, friend, and mentor.

"They're rather jovial for a group of mourners." He said under his breath.

"Every long, full, wonderful life should end in celebration. Your father had so much darkness in him, these people helped bring out his light. That's the part of him he would have wanted everyone to remember."

Vex stopped walking and leaned against the side of the stairwell, staring across to the other side of the stairwell. Against the Whitestone the makes up the staircase she saw the large black feathers of a Raven, staring back at her.

"Vax?" She said, turning her head to the door where her son stood. He turned his head back to her. "Go on in, I'll be right in." 

He nodded. "Don't be too long, it's cold out."

With that he turned back to the door and walked into the castle. As soon as the door opened the sound of laughter and storytelling broke through the quiet night. Vex smiled hearing the voices of all of her friends and family, but kept her eyes on the raven.

It flew across, landing on her shoulder, and instantly started pecking at her hair. Her smile faded as she shot a glare over her shoulder. "After 60 years this is how you say hello?"

The raven stopped pecking and nuzzled up to Vex's shoulder. She reached up and ran her fingers across the bird's head. 

"Thank you brother, I missed you."


End file.
